When It Comes to an End
by linking
Summary: George couldn't follow Fred... no matter how hard he ran, how loud he screamed. Then he realized, realized what had really happened... But it couldn not be his brother, the shell in front of him... One-shot, salute to Fred Weasley.


"'Eorgie, c'mon!"

"Waid up, Feddie!"

"C'mon, 'Eorgie, you can'd catch me?"

"Fed!"

Fred laughed, turning around and showing his tiny, joyous face. Then turned around, moving farther and farther away.

George crawled behind, his hands tiny and sore…but only to find himself somehow move even farther from his beloved baby twin...

Then he was no longer crawling, but running, rather clumsily.

"Freddie! Waid fur me!" His voice was high, a child's voice.

"You godda run fasder, Georgie!"

Fred sounded so distant. He was way too far away.

George was sprinting now, charging forwards with all his might. But still, Fred was moving so much faster. His flaming red hair only the size of a Bludger to George's sight now…

"Fred! What the bloody hell, wait!"

"Faster, George…you'll never get me with _that_ speed!"

"Fred…no, stop! STOP!" George's voice lowered itself now. He ran even faster. His legs were longer, and still growing.

"C'mon George, don't keep me waiting!" Fred was also growing…

"Fred…don't go that way! Fred…FRED! NO, FRED!"

the back of the red head was now a speck, then George Weasley's twin was swallowed into darkness.

"George…"

"FRED!"

"George…" it wasn't Fred who spoke.

George opened his eyes tentatively, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and knew it wasn't Fred's. He didn't look around. Fred was up close now. But he wasn't Fred. He was merely Fred without the essence of Fred. Fred's shell with no soul inside. A bottle, made to look like George's twin, but without the contents inside, without _Fred_ inside…

"George…" George recognized the voice as his brother Percy's.

George stared at the lifeless body in front of him. Its face was broken in a grin, its eyes half-open. Eyes the exact same color as George's, a pale, glassy blue. Except the body's eyes had a moony glow: a lifeless, sparkling glint that was the reflection of the ceiling above it.

Many things happened at once. There was a bright red blur, then Molly was sobbing uncontrollably over the corpse George was studying with care. Her body shook and she, too, looked as frail as the leftovers of George's twin. George saw that her tears had wetted the front of the body's robes… Something glittered in her bright red hair. George distinguished the hand that stroked his mother's hair as his father's. George knew that he was crying to, but somehow tears would come to his own eyes.

More figures formed a circle around the corpse. George remained at its head, staring into its face. Its face that resembled his so, though George felt no grin upon his face, like the way his brother's corpse was smiling. The sound of baby Fred's taunting still rang in his head, even if, however distinctively, he knew they were not real. George gulped. No, no, no, this can not be…

He heard a muffled hiccough behind him. He knew it was Ginny, and muttered attempt on calming Ginny made by Hermione. He heard Bill let out a weird noise next to his father; a mixture between a broken wail and a gasp. The voice following was Fleur breaking down next to Bill. Someone else closed in; Charlie was crying shamelessly. George felt someone's foot touch his right one lightly. He made out Ron's voice as he sobbed quietly.

Realization dawned on him as the imaginary Fred's voice ceased to continue its ringing in his head. The motionless person lying in front of him was Fred. It really was. It was Fred, but the life inside him had ran away, just like he had in George's mind's eye. A wave of anguish washed over George, he felt piece of glass piercing his heart…then he doubted that he still had one…he couldn't, couldn't hear it beat. Perhaps it wasn't beating…perhaps, he nearly _hoped_, that it had stopped beating and then maybe he could catch up with Fred. Maybe he could just keep running and would hear the voice coming closer…

"George! You slow prat! How dare you keep me waiting!"

But no one said it.

George was slightly startled to see a drop of water appear on his twin's frozen expression. Then he became aware that it was his tear. George felt something shatter, then heard himself cry out in a deafening, heartrending moan. Tears cascading down his face, he yelled, one last time, for the possibility that it still might be potential for life to come back into the carcass of his brother, best friend, co-worker, and other half…

"…FRED!!"


End file.
